Fate Intervenes
by kpangel
Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 10 years. Will the two most important men in her life meet? S/V fic. Epilogue up! *Complete*
1. Chapter 1

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Author: Kim Phan

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E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

****

Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

****

Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 7 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

****

Author's Note: Sorry if this gets out of character. I'll try to write it as best as I know how. I got this idea while trying to get some sleep the other night. Hehe. Well, enjoy!

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Fate Intervenes

Chapter 1

Looking through the boxes, Sydney pulled out the one she wanted. It felt so weird to be back in Los Angeles. She had missed Francie and Will a lot, but New York had been great. On her way here, she had reminisced about the wonderful memories she had made there. She was going to miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and Lorena and her students. 

The first year she saw the parade in person was like no other. All the floats and people were magnificent. She had never seen a sight like that before in her life. Most of her life had been filled with dark images and evil. Death and destruction was all she had ever saw. Sydney had finally felt free again. That was the reason she had moved to New York in the first place. To be free and to forget. She wanted to forget about the CIA, SD-6, her mother, and well, other things. 

During her first day at Columbia University, she bumped into Lorena. She could remember it like yesterday.

__

Oh my gosh, I never knew being an English teacher was so much work, but then what am I complaining about? This definitely better than being a double agent, Sydney thought. Suddenly she was interrupted from her thoughts by a crashing sound and papers scattering. Only when she came back into the real world did she realize that it was she who had crashed.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I was distracted," Sydney apologized.

"Oh. No problem. If you hadn't ran into me, I would have ran into you. Chemistry can be distracting. I'm always thinking about different experiments and all that." The woman laughed. Sydney smiled. She decided to take a good look at her while gathering the papers she had dropped. The woman seemed to be about her height, maybe one or two inches shorter. She had short, curly, black hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. She was wearing a short, yellow summer dress with suns on it and sun earrings. Because of the cold weather, she wore a white lab coat over the dress.

"Oh, I'm sorry! My name's Sydney Bristow," Sydney said, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. Sydney held out her hand, only to have the woman hug her.

"I'm Lorena Sue Brookes, but please call me Lorena. Sorry about that. I'm just not very much for the whole hand shake thing. It just seems too cold," Lorena said as she pulled out of the hug. Sydney laughed. In all her life, she had never met such a warm person as Lorena. She instantly reminded Sydney of Francie. Pushing that thought into the back of her head, she offered to take Lorena out for coffee. 

"Oh I would love to! I know this great place on 54th street. Very quaint and has such lovely..." Lorena rambled on as the two women made their way out of the university. 

She smiled at the thought of her good friend. Lorena always knew how to make her smile and how to take care of her. She's been a big help over the years. Some people may call Lorena weird and too outgoing, but to her, Lorena was just, well... Lorena.

Her students could be a pain in the neck at times. Always negotiating deadlines with her for some reason or another. She was understanding about that though, always thinking that one of her students could be working for the CIA and had to go on a mission of some sort. They were good kids though. They always asked how she was doing and when they found out she was leaving, they had a big going away party for her. There were presents and tears all night long.

She felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She would miss it all dearly, but Los Angeles was her home. Sydney felt it was time to come back and really move on. Although try as she might, she could not get him out of her mind. There had been no point in staying in New York any longer especially when she found out he was moving. She started opening a box containing picture frames. On the top of the pile was the one that mattered the most. It was a silver antique frame with a picture of Joey and her in it.

"Mom! Mom! Where's my hockey stick?"

*So what did you guys think? Don't worry. It'll get more exciting. This was just like a beginning chapter to tell about her life in New York. It will get much better after this chapter. 

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	2. Chapter 2

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Author: Kim Phan

****

E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

****

Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

****

Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 10 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

****

Author's Note: This chapter is little longer than the last. It could have been longer but I wanted to end it at the climax. It will explain more about what's going on. I'm sorry if I tortured you about who the other person in her life was. If you haven't figured it out by now, read the last line of chapter 1.

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Chapter 2

"Mom! Mom! Where's my hockey stick?" Joey asked. Sydney smiled. Joey is always thinking about hockey. He reminded her so much of Vaughn it hurt. Joseph Michael Bristow. It seemed only right to name him after Joey's Pizza. Vaughn and her had met countless times under that pretense. Michael had been the perfect middle name for him. At least he would always have a part of his father with him. 

Joey came running into the room. Sydney was ready for him, hockey stick in hand.

"Looking for this?" she questioned. Joey displayed a look of relief she had seen on Vaughn's face many times after Sydney had come back from a mission safe and sound. He looked exactly like her old CIA handler. The same green eyes, ruffled blondish-brown hair, and carved features.

"Thank you, Mom. I was panicking there," Joey replied. She had signed Joey up for hockey classes at the local ice rink and his first class would be tonight. He was so excited he almost forgot to watch the Kings game on TV. She had never forced her son to play hockey. Heck, she had barely ever said anything to him about sports in general. She had been too busy thinking about other things. Will was the reason he was so into hockey. During one of Will's visits to New York when Joey was 4, he took Joey to a hockey game. Ever since then, he became an avid hockey fan. It seemed like fate almost. Sydney didn't know why she was talking about fate. If fate was really meant to happen, she would have seen Vaughn again already. Sydney sighed and turned her attention back to her son.

"Ready for your class tonight?" Sydney asked.

"Of course, Mom. I've been ready for weeks now ever since I had to quit my classes in New York." Joey sighed, rolling his eyes. Sydney smiled. One thing that Joey did inherit from her was his impatience. He hated when people wasted his time and hated waiting for things. Joey was one of those people who had to have their Christmas presents before Christmas.

*Several Hours Later*

Sydney sat on the benches on the side of the ice rink reading a book. It was some novel about a woman who was in love with this man, but couldn't have him because he was her boss. Oh my, doesn't this sound familiar? Story of my life it seems. Every once in a while she would glance up to watch her son. He was really good. She wasn't surprised though considering who his father was. 

Sydney was silently scolding herself for not bringing a jacket. Although it was June and 90 degrees outside, the inside of an ice rink was always kept at a cool temperature. At least she had worn pants, the one thing she was grateful for. She pulled herself out of her thoughts at the sound of Joey's voice.

"Mom, Mom! Come meet my coach." called an excited Joey. Sydney came down the steps of the benches and with her hand in her son's, was dragged to the entrance of the skating area.

"Slow down, Joey. I'm sure your coach is willing to wait a couple more seconds before he meets me," Sydney said. Silently, she wondered why her son was so excited about this coach. He had liked his old coach, but she didn't remember Joey eagerly asking her to meet him. 

"I know, I know, Mom. He's just really cool though. He taught me a couple new moves and he even asked if I wanted to join the team he coaches," Joey replied. Now Sydney understood. She had always been nervous about letting him play on a team and Joey knew it. Sydney decided she would be more open-minded this time. 

"Alright, alright, Joey. I'll talk to him about it and we'll see, okay?" Sydney gave in. Joey gave his trade-mark grin and started dragging his mother even faster. Her arm was going to be dislocated any minute now.

"There he is, Mom! Over there!" Joey cried, pointing to a man in his early 30's who was short with dark brown hair. She was surprised that that was his coach. She expected someone older and well less short.

"That one over there? The dark-haired man?" Sydney asked to make sure. Joey shook his head.

"No, that's the assistant coach. The head coach is behind him." Joey replied. She got a clear view of him as the coach skated towards them. What she saw almost made her faint. There in front of her was the man she had tried to avoid for 10 years now. 

"Mom, meet my coach, Michael Vaughn." His green eyes were confused, tired, angry and surprised all into one as they stared back at her. She was sure that her eyes looked similar to his.

"Coach, meet my mom, Sydney Bristow." Joey finished the introductions. Sydney could take it anymore. She suddenly felt light-headed and started to faint. The last thing she felt before she passed out was a strong arm supporting her fall.


	3. Chapter 3

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Author: Kim Phan

****

E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

****

Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

****

Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 7 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

****

Author's Note: Thank you to all the readers for such wonderful reviews. I'm sorry I had to leave you hanging like that. I know what that's like considering the many fan fics I've read. Don't worry. I'll be writing more chapters throughout the day. Probably less cliffhangers. 

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Chapter 3

"Sydney! Sydney!" Vaughn cried. *What is she doing here? and Mom? Joey's her son??* Vaughn thought as he tried to get Sydney to wake up. Finally after a minute or two, she seemed to be coming around.

"Hmm.. Vaughn?" Sydney mumbled as she began to wake up. Suddenly she remembered what had happened and wanted to faint again. *What is he doing here? Why is he Joey's coach??* Sydney thought as she pulled herself up.

"Mom? What's going on? Do you know him?" Joey asked, clearly confused. Although he had just introduced them, they seemed to know each other well. When his mom had passed out, his coach had started to panic and there were worry lines on his forehead. *Something was not right* Joey thought.

"What? Oh no, Joey. We've just met. Look why don't you go practice some more, okay? I'll talk to Mr. Vaughn here about the hockey team." Sydney lied as she started to sit up. Joey didn't believe her for one second, but thought he would leave it be for now. Turning around, he skated into the ice rink. Sydney sighed.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in _New York_?" Vaughn said angrily. Sydney looked at the ground. She dared not look into his eyes for fear of what she might find. Gaining her logic back, she realized something and started to get angry too.

"Me? What about you! I thought you were moving!" Sydney replied just as angrily. *I'm going to kill Francie! She told me that Vaughn was moving!* Sydney thought. 

"Moving? Who told you I was moving?" Vaughn asked, "Wait a minute. Did Francie tell you that?" Although Syd and him weren't together, he still kept in touch with Francie to see how Sydney was doing. He couldn't figure out why Francie didn't tell him that Sydney had moved back though.

"Yeah, so?" Sydney replied.

Vaughn sighed. "Well, the truth was I was going to move, but decided to stay here. My sister's kid wanted to play hockey, but there's no little league team here so I volunteered. Moving didn't seem that important," Vaughn explained, "What about you? What in world brought you back to LA?"

"Well, I missed home, and when Francie told me you were moving, it seemed like the perfect time to move back." Sydney replied quietly getting ready for his angry remark. She just knew it was coming.

"What? Do you hate me that much? You know you were the one who left in the first place. I should be the angry one! I should be the one avoiding you, not the other way around!" Vaughn replied angrily, trying to keep his voice down.

"Excuse me? You were the one sleeping with that bimbo!" Sydney cried. She couldn't seem to talk rationally. Maybe it was best they don't continue this conversation right now.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Vaughn replied. By now, they had the attention of all the parents on the benches. Their kids all forgotten at the moment so they could focus their attention on the bickering pair. 

Finally noticing the parents, Sydney calmed down and answered, "Look, it's obvious we have an audience. Why don't we continue this somewhere more private?" Vaughn sighed and nodded. They didn't need to argue in front of his hockey players' parents. He didn't want to make a wrong impression on them already.

"Why don't we go outside and.." Vaughn said before he was interrupted by his pager.

"Oh, no! I completely forgot about my sister's wedding anniversary. I was supposed to take Eric home and then get ready for the party," Vaughn remembered. Sydney breathed a sigh of relief. If they did this later, at least everyone involved would be more calm and she could have time to figure out what to say.

"Look, here's my number. Call me and we can meet somewhere to talk," Sydney said handing him a piece of paper with a number on it. Vaughn ran his fingers through his hair and nodded silently. *God I wish I could run my fingers through his hair! Why am I thinking like this? I should concentrate on our problem.* Sydney thought.

"Well, I better go," Vaughn replied. Sydney looked up and saw the anguish and confusion in his eyes. Standing up, he walked down the benches and said something to the assistant coach before he walked out the door. She turned her attention back to the ice rink to find Joey and all the other kids skating out of the ice rink. *Practice must be over* she thought. 

"So, Mom? Can I join the team?" Joey asked as he meet his mom at the exit. Sydney realized Vaughn and her hadn't even discussed it or Joey at all in fact. She silently sighed.

"Um. Sure Joey. Why not?" Sydney gave in. *What's the point? It's not like she would be able to keep Vaughn out of Joey's life once he found out the truth. At least Joey will be happy for awhile.* Sydney thought.

"Yes! Thanks Mom!" Joey smiled. 

On the ride home, Sydney could barely concentrate on the road. Her mind was on Vaughn and their conversation. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to say that he should be the hurt one. She gripped the steering wheel harder. 

Once they got home, Joey ran into his room to watch the Kings game. Sydney was relieved. She really didn't want to answer any of Joey's questions at the moment. Grimacing, she realized that she probably ran a ton of red lights on the way home.

As she started to relax on the couch, Sydney heard the phone ring. *Ugh! Who could be calling right now?* Sydney thought as she picked up the phone. 

"Hello?"

"Hey Syd! What's up?" Francie asked. She remembered what had happened at the ice rink. Sydney couldn't believe the nerve of her best friend. . Francie had known all along that Vaughn wasn't moving.

"I saw Vaughn. He's coaching Joey's classes." Sydney asked in an angry tone, "Francie! I can not believe you! You knew he wasn't moving! You knew I didn't want to see him again and yet you set me up! Why?"

"Look Syd. Please don't be mad at me. It's just that he seems so sad when he talks about you and you're always asking about him. I just didn't understand why you guys just didn't talk to each other. I was sick of being the middle person. Besides Michael has a right to know about his son. He's a good guy, Syd. You know that. The least you could do for him was let him see his son. I was going to set something up for you two to meet, but it seems like you met by fate." Francie explained. 

"Fate? You mean you didn't know he was Joey's coach?" Sydney asked confused.

"No. I didn't even know he coached hockey. It's been awhile since I last talked to him." Francie replied.

"Well, still. You should have told me he wasn't moving." Sydney reasoned.

"But Sydney.." Francie started but was interrupted by Sydney.

"No buts!" Sydney said as she sighed, "Look, it's complicated, okay? Besides you have no right to take the decision out of my hands like that. Joey's my son. I'm sorry if you thought you were stuck in the middle of us but you still shouldn't have lied to me." Sydney said.

"Look Syd. I just hated to see the both of you suffering like that. Michael has become a good friend of mine. We get together once a month and talk. It's mostly about you. He misses you so much. When he told me he had thought about moving and changed his mind, I knew I had to get you to come back. What if he _had_ moved? He would have never had the chance to meet Joey. Would you really want that?" Francie reasoned. Sydney sighed realizing that Francie was right and that she still didn't call Vaughn, Michael.

"I guess not. Why do you have to be right? I hate it when you're right. I can't stay mad at you if you're right." Sydney said. Francie laughed.

"So tell me, what happened?" Francie asked eagerly. 

"Well, Joey said he wanted me to meet his coach because Joey wanted to join the hockey team. So I was dragged over to Vaughn who I didn't see at first. I saw the assistant coach, but then he skated over to us and Joey introduced us. As soon as he was done with the introducing, I fainted..."

"Wait, you fainted? Wow. You must have been really shocked." Francie interrupted.

"Anyways, as I was saying, I fainted and when I woke up, I remembered what had happened. I told Joey to go practice and then Vaughn and I started arguing. At one point we got so loud that all the parents of the hockey players were watching us. We were going to go outside to continue our conversation when Vaughn's pager interrupted us. Apparently, he had to go to his sister's wedding anniversary and was already running late. I gave him my number so that we could get together and talk and he left," Sydney finished.

"Hmm... interesting. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you didn't tell him that Joey was his son," Francie said.

"Well... no. There was no time. We were still talking about what we were doing there." Sydney explain.

"You are going to tell him though right?" Silence. "Sydney?!?"

"Yes, of course I'll tell him. Just maybe not yet," Sydney said.

"Well, you better tell him soon. Look, I gotta go. My restaurant got a new chef and I've got to go make sure he hasn't burned down my kitchen," Francie replied wryly. Sydney laughed. Francie was always worried about her chefs. She keeps saying she has nightmares about them burning down the kitchen. 

"Alright. I'll talk to you later. Are you still coming over tomorrow night?" Sydney asked.

"Of course. I know you. You probably only have one box unpacked." Francie replied. Sydney laughed. Francie knew her too well.

"Bye."

"Bye."

* So? What did you guys think? See no cliffhanger this time. I've decided that I might do a whole other story about Vaughn perspective in all this. What do you think?


	4. Chapter 4

****

Author: Kim Phan

****

E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

****

Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

****

Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 7 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

****

Author's Note: I've decided that if I get 10 requests for the Vaughn perspective of the story, I'll start posting it. Until then enjoy this chapter.

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Chapter 4

Sydney hears ringing in her ear and realizes that it's the phone.

"Hmm? Hello?" Sydney asked in a sleepy voice. She looked quickly at the clock. It was 10 am. Usually, she never slept that late, but she didn't get any sleep last night. All she could think about was Vaughn and what she was going to say to him.

"Um, Hi. Did I wake you?" Vaughn replied. He wondered why she was just getting up. When she had been a double agent, he remembered she got up at 7 every morning. She had told him that during one of their meetings. Then again, she wasn't a double agent anymore, so she could wake up anytime she wanted.

"Um, no. Well actually yeah. It's okay though. I usually don't sleep this late, but I didn't get much sleep last night," Sydney answered. She didn't know why she was telling him this. It just seemed right she guessed.

"Well, sorry anyways. So... when do you want to meet?" Vaughn asked acting very business-like.

"How about 1? I have to take Joey over to my father's house. He wanted some quality time with Joey," Sydney replied.

"Okay, how about at the pier?" Vaughn asked as he remembered the many times they had met there to talk. His mind turned back to Joey. He didn't know what to think about him. All he knew was that if Joey was his son, Sydney had a lot of explaining to do.

"Um.. sure. See ya," Sydney replied as she scolded herself for bringing Joey up. *Shit! Now he'll be sure to bring up Joey when we talk.* She sighed.

"Bye." Vaughn said, his tone somewhat impersonal. 

She did a lot of thinking on the way to the pier. Sydney had decided to tell Vaughn about Joey. As she walked towards the middle of the pier, she could hear the creaks under her feet from the wood. Vaughn was already there. In the sunlight, he looked even more handsome than usual. He was wearing a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and sunglasses. His hair was neater and he seemed deep in thought as he leaned on the railing, facing away from the water.

When she reached him, she stood in front of him. He slowly stood straight up and took of his glasses. She took hers off as well and started fiddling with them.

"So. Why don't you start from the beginning?" Vaughn asked. Instead of answering, Sydney nodded and walked over to the railing and looked at the ocean. Seconds later, Vaughn joined her.

"Two days before SD-6 was taken down, I went to the doctor's. He confirmed my suspicions about something. I was pregnant. I remembered I was so excited, but also scared at the same time. I didn't know about the takedown and was worried about whether my, our baby would be safe or not." Sydney paused to take a breath and Vaughn gave her a surprised look but didn't say anything.

"The next morning, I called you. It was early, around 6 am. A woman picked up and when I heard her sleepy voice, I hung up. I didn't know what to think or what to do. I was so hurt." Sydney stopped to grab a tissue out of her pocket when Vaughn grab her hand.

"Sydney, the woman you heard was my sister," Vaughn said.

"What? What was your sister doing there that early in the morning?" Sydney asked very confused.

"She was having her house fumigated so she was staying at my house for the time being," Vaughn gently replied. This only made Sydney cry even harder.

"You mean to tell me that all this time was wasted? Wait. Why didn't you ask me to stay then?" Sydney asked. Vaughn sighed, now staring back at the ocean.

"I wanted to, but when you told me you were moving to New York, I thought you didn't care about us anymore. I thought I didn't matter to you anymore," Vaughn replied.

"This is all my fault. I should have never jumped to conclusions. I should have trusted you more," Sydney quietly said.

"I deserve some of the blame too, you know. I could have stopped you from leaving. We should have had this conversation a long time ago," Vaughn said, tears in his eyes.

"Why does it seem we always get ourselves in bad situations?" Sydney asked as she turned towards him. He looked back at her and suddenly she felt his arms around her pulling her into a hug. She stood there crying in his arms for what seemed like forever. As they stood there, he drew circles with his thumb on her back, comforting her. Even after all this time, he knew when and how to comfort her. His shirt was probably soaked from all her crying. Finally, she pulled back.

"I'm sorry. Your shirt's soaked." Sydney sniffled. Vaughn chuckled.

"It's okay, really. I just want you to be okay," Vaughn replied with a gentle look in his green eyes. Vaughn is always comforting her and protecting her. It seems unfair at times that she can't return the favor.

"Tell me about Joey," Vaughn asked. Sydney took a deep breath and began her story.

"Well, his full name is Joseph Michael Bristow. I named him after Joey's Pizza and you. Ironically, he was born on your birthday. November 27, 2004. He's ten now. Even though I never introduced him to the sport or sports in general, he became an avid hockey fan. I got him into the Kings though. I figured he would like them. As you could probably tell, he got your looks. He looks exactly like you. It used to torture me. He got my temper and impatience though. He's also very adventurous. When he was younger, I would stress myself out looking for him sometimes. He would run off to do this and that. His favorite color is blue and he hates broccoli and girls." Sydney finished. Vaughn laughed.

"What's so funny?" Sydney asked.

"That'll change," Vaughn said. Sydney gave him a confused look.

"He won't hate girls once he becomes a teenager," Vaughn explained. Sydney smiled. 

"There's so much to tell you. I have his baby book at home if you want to see it," Sydney said. Vaughn nodded.

"What happens now, Michael?" Sydney asked. Vaughn looked at her, surprised she had used his first name. It felt so good to hear her say it. 

"I dunno, Syd. We could start over. Go out on a date maybe?" Vaughn suggested. Sydney grinned.

"Sure," Sydney replied. Vaughn turned towards her and takes her hands in his.

"Sydney, would you like to go to dinner with me Friday night?" Vaughn asked. 

"I would love to, Michael." Sydney said, a big grin spreading on her face causing her dimples to show. Vaughn smiled back, the smile reaching his green eyes. He leaned over and their lips met in a short kiss, well it was supposed to be a short kiss. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer. He ran his hands through her soft brown hair as their tongues met. Although they had kissed before, this one was different. It was sweeter, more passionate, and had more meaning. As they pulled apart, they stood there smiling foolishly at one another for a while before Sydney realized it was getting late.

"I have to go. Francie's coming over to help me unpack. Why don't you come over? We can introduce you to Joey," Sydney suggested.

"Sure." Vaughn replied as he smiled. Hand in hand, the two walk back to their cars.

*What do you think? It's not over yet though. I'm having a couple more chapters before I end this. That's it for today though. I need the rest of the day off to think. More chapters tomorrow though. Bye! 


	5. Chapter 5

****

Author: Kim Phan

****

E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

****

Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

****

Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 7 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

****

Author's Note: Did you guys enjoy the last chapter? I hope so. I'm sorry. I just can't bring myself to call him Michael no matter how much I try. ;) This part takes place in Syd's apartment. Vaughn's coming over to talk to Joey and well, just where Chapter 4 left off. Hehe. I know I said I wasn't going to write anymore today, but well change of plans. You guys don't mind though? Do you? Enjoy and please review!

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Chapter 5

Sydney sat in her living room looking through a photo album, waiting for Vaughn to show up. After she had gotten home, she had changed into dark blue sweat pants and a white t-shirt. Now she was debating whether she should change again. Vaughn was going to come over later. Relaxing, she took a sip of coffee from her cup as she remember Vaughn's and her last meeting before she left for NY.

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He was already there waiting for her. Then again he always was. She can't even remember a time he had come after her at one of these meetings. Sydney sighed and walked closer. Her footsteps echoed through the warehouse. She was silently thinking about how she would tell him about New York. Under different circumstances, she wouldn't be telling him about NY, she should be telling him about their baby. She felt a tear slid down her cheek and wiped it away. She scolded herself for thinking about that again when she had promised herself not to. 

Vaughn didn't notice her at first. He was turned away from her and seemed deep in thought. As her footsteps became louder, he turned around and gave her a big smile.

"Hey."

"Hi." Sydney said, giving him a small sad smile.

"SD-6 is gone. Can you believe it? I never thought this day would come," Vaughn excitedly said. He was so happy this was over. They wouldn't have to sneak around anymore. No more secret rendezvous to faraway places where no one could find them. No more pretending they didn't know each other in public. They were free.

"No, I can't. I'm glad it's over though," Sydney replied with a faraway look in her eyes. 

Vaughn, sensing something was up, questioned her, "What's wrong, Syd?"

"I have to tell you something, Vaughn," Sydney replied. Vaughn was confused. What could she possibly have to tell him? 

"What is it?" Vaughn asked as those ever present wrinkle lines started to appear on his forehead once again.

"Since SD-6 is now gone, I've decided to quit the CIA.(pause) That's not what I wanted to tell you though. I've been offered a teaching position at Columbia University in New York and I've decided to take it," Sydney told him, trying to read the expression in his eyes. Shock turned to sadness and then to something she couldn't recognize. *If he really loves me, he'll ask me to stay.* Sydney thought.

"Well, thank you for all your help, Agent Bristow. Good luck in New York," Vaughn replied in an all-business tone. All his thoughts about them and being free flew out the window with her words. *If she really loved me, she would want stay.* Vaughn thought. 

"_Thank you, Agent Vaughn. I have to go pack now. Goodbye," Sydney said, trying to keep her voice level. She looked at the ground, grounding the toe of her tennis shoes into the concrete._

"Goodbye," Vaughn said as Sydney started walking away, puddles of tears in her eyes, threatening to fall. Vaughn watched her walk away with a sad look on his face as he fingered a blue velvet box in his pocket. 

To think that meeting could have ended up differently. Sydney sighed once more. She had been doing a lot of sighing lately. It seemed evitable. She pushed those thoughts from her head. The past was past. There was nothing she could do to change that so she would now think about the future. Her future with her family. Her thoughts were once more interrupted by the voice of her son.

"Hey Mom! I'm home," Joey called as he entered the house.

"Hey Joey. How was Grandpa's?" Sydney asked.

"Oh it was fine. We went to see the Lakers play. Grandpa's really into basketball. You know me though. It was fun, but hockey games are much better. Grandpa bought me a hat though," Joey told her holding up his new Lakers hat. Sydney chuckled. She knew her dad had taken Joey to a basketball game and she knew Joey wouldn't like it as much as hockey, but didn't have the heart to tell her father that. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Sydney knew exactly who was at the door and didn't want Joey to see him just yet.

"Joey, why don't you go put your stuff in your room and I'll get the door, okay? It's probably Francie coming over early to help with the unpacking," Sydney told her son even though it wasn't true. She hated lying to Joey, but what could she do?

"Alright, Mom," Joey replied as he headed towards his room. Sydney opened the door and smiled at Vaughn.

"Hey," Vaughn said, his green eyes nervous as he gave her a small smile.

"Hi," Sydney replied. 

Sensing his nervousness, she whispered in his ear, "Don't worry he'll like you. I know."

The feel of her breath on his ear set shivers through his body. She, of course, knew he was nervous about what Joey would think about him. Who's to say Joey would like him though? Sure, he has met him already, but these were different circumstances. *What am I supposed to say? Hi, I'm the father you've never seen. I was your mom's CIA handler?* Vaughn thought. 

"Why don't you sit down? Joey's in his room, but he should be out any minute now," Sydney said. Vaughn took off his wool jacket and sat on the coach. Sydney joined him making sure she wasn't sitting too close to make Joey curious.

"Hi, Fran..," Joey started to say as he came into the room, but he noticed that sitting on his couch was not Francie, but his hockey coach.

"Mom? What's coach doing here? Are you guys talking about me being on the team?" Joey asked, clearly confused.

"Joey, why don't you sit? I have something important to tell you," Sydney replied. Joey wasn't sure what was going on, but decided he would take his mom's advice and sat on an armchair near the couch. 

"Um.. Joey. Well, you see. When you asked me if I had met your coach before, I lied to you. I do know him. I know him very well actually. He's your father," Sydney said nervously, waiting for his reaction.

"My father?!?" Joey cried, jumping out of his seat and staring at the two adults. His eyes the size of saucers.

"Look, Joey. I know I said that your father just couldn't be with us, but there was a misunderstanding which I will explain to you when you're older. Don't be mad at your father, though. It's not his fault. It's mine. It's my fault you didn't know your father before now," Sydney explained, desperately hoping he would understand.

Joey sighed. There was silence in the room for a while before Joey spoke again. 

"So do they allow a dad to coach his son?" Joey asked. Vaughn looked at him with a smile. Sydney, on the other hand, was on the brink of tears.

"I'm sure it can be arranged," Vaughn replied. Joey didn't say anything. He just nodded.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm not mad at you, but don't lie to me again," Joey warned. Sydney laughed at the maturity he showed at his age.

"Okay, Joey. I promise," Sydney replied. Joey glanced at the clock realizing it was near time for the Kings game to start.

"So the Kings game is starting soon. Do you want to watch...Dad?" Joey asked, nervousness in his eyes as he looked at his father.

Vaughn grinned. "Sure, Joey."

"Oh so you guys get to watch the game while Francie and I unpack, huh?" Sydney asked, raising her eyebrow and pretending to be angry.

"Oh, come on, Mom! This is one of the most important games of the season! Please??" Joey begged.

"Yeah, come on, Mom. I'll make it up to you," Vaughn whispered huskily into her ear. Sydney shivered, giggled, and gave in. Those two could make her agree to almost anything.

"Alright, alright. Just don't make a habit of it," Sydney said. Both guys grinned at her before turning on the television and focusing on the game. Sydney silently shook her head and laughed. *I could get used to this.* Sydney thought.

*What do you guys think? I'm adding one more chapter after this one. It'll be the epilogue. Then it will be complete. :( Kind of sad huh? lol.* 


	6. Chapter 6

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Author: Kim Phan

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E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

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Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

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Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 7 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

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Author's Note: 

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Hey everyone! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. I know I kind of took the easy way out with Joey not being that angry, but honestly I didn't want this to turn into an angst fic. That's for another time. Besides if Joey became was about Vaughn and everything, it would turn into a long, long fic and I have only so much patience to concentrate on a certain fic. Too many ideas, too little time. :) 

If anyone really wants the whole angst thing and turn my idea into Joey getting mad about Vaughn, email me about it and you can go ahead and write it.

Because many people really want at least two more chapters, I've decided I'll be writing two more chapters at least. Maybe three, depending on where I take this. So long and lots of love. Till next time! Enjoy!

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Chapter 6

As Sydney stepped out of the car, she took a good look at the outdoor restaurant. Every table was covered with a pale gold tablecloth and had a single white candle in a heart shaped silver holder. Ivy and lights were strewn in the railing surrounding the restaurant. The back wall was painted with the scene of an old French village. In the middle was a picture of a young couple in love. It was beautiful. Vaughn said he picked the restaurant for its name since it fitted her so well. She didn't find out the name until just now though. Beauté Classique (Classic Beauty). Sydney blushed at the silent compliment he had paid her. It felt so great to be here with Vaughn in public. She suddenly realized that this was their first date. They had never had an actual date before. It seemed silly considering how well they knew each other.

They were lead to their table. She was surprised the restaurant hadn't cancelled their reservation. Sydney had taken so long to get ready. At first, she couldn't seem to find the perfect dress she wanted. Finally, she settled for a spaghetti strap, red evening gown that was lined with diamonds in the neckline. Then there was her hair. She took two hours with the curler getting her hair to curl just right. After that were her shoes. She realized she didn't have any red shoes so she called Francie up and had her bring a pair. At least, she was happy with the final look or at least the look Vaughn gave her when he saw her.

He didn't look bad himself. Vaughn wore a black suit with a white dress shirt. Leaving a few buttons open on the shirt, he was the epitome of class and sexuality. His hair had become more ruffled than usual, the wrinkles in his forehead disappearing for the moment, and his eyes seems to sparkle even more in the nightlight. 

"How did you find this place? It's wonderful," Sydney asked as they were seated. 

"I thought you'd like it. My sister had her engagement party here," Vaughn explained. He took her hand in his and they stayed like that for awhile, just looking into each other's eyes and smiling. 

"Ahem.." the waiter cleared his throat. Vaughn and Syd paid no attention to him.

"Excuse, but would you like to order?" the waiter asked in an annoyed tone. 

Realizing he was waiting for them to respond, Vaughn reluctantly tore his gaze away from Sydney and answered, "Um. Yes. We would like chicken caesar salad and filet mignon. Also please bring me a bottle of white wine."

"Of course, monsieur. I'll be back soon," the waiter replied. Vaughn had already turned his attention back to Sydney.

"Joey is really warming up to you. I'm surprised he took it so well. I'm glad he did though," Sydney said.

"Yeah, me too. I promised him I would take him to a Kings game next weekend. That's okay right?" Vaughn asked. Sydney smiled.

"Of course, Michael. He's your son. You don't have to ask me if it's okay," Sydney replied. Vaughn laughed. Sydney was right, but it just seemed weird was all. Soon the waiter came back with their food and wine.

"Hmm...this is fantastic!" Sydney exclaimed as she took a bite of her salad.

"Yeah, this place has the best food in all of LA," Vaughn said as he took a sip of wine from the cool glass.

Vaughn and Sydney sat and talked for hours about Joey, his life in LA, and her life in NY. Vaughn still worked for the CIA, but he had a desk job now and didn't have to come in very much. Instead, he focused a lot of his time on coaching hockey. Sydney was happy about that for her own selfish reasons. This meant that he wasn't anyone else's handler, and he would be able to spend more time with their son.

"Would you like some dessert?" the waiter asked after they had finished their dinner.

"What would you like?" Vaughn asked Sydney. Sydney's eyes skimmed over the tray of dessert and settled for a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Since the slice was so big, they decided to share it. So they stayed there eating cheesecake and talking. Soon it was getting late, and everyone else except a couple of waiters had left.

"Maybe we should leave, Michael. The waiters are giving us irritated looks," Sydney said with a smile. Vaughn chuckled.

"Maybe you're right. It is getting late. Joey might get worried," Vaughn replied as he took a look at his watch. After paying the bill and leaving a big tip for the waiters' troubles, they left the restaurant hand in hand and headed home.

Although the car ride was silent, it was the kind of peaceful silence that didn't need to be filled with words. As Vaughn drove along the quiet streets, Sydney stared out the window at the many shops and scenery that was Los Angeles. Sydney thought about how wonderful this night had been while Vaughn thought this night was just beginning. 

When they reached Sydney's doorstep, there was an awkward pause.

"So..." Vaughn said. 

"So...would you like to come in?" Sydney blurted out. Vaughn smiled and nodded. Placing a hand on the small of her back as she opened the door, they came into her apartment. What she saw there amazed her. Everywhere on the ground were pink rose petals, the background was lit with various candles giving the living room a warm feel to it, and in the middle of it all was a large box with a red ribbon on top. Sydney stood there motionless for a few seconds before she felt Vaughn's breath near her ear.

"Well, aren't you going to open the box?" Vaughn whispered, smiling. Sydney smiled back and step forward to open the box. *I wonder what it could be* Sydney thought. When she opened the box, she was surprised to find another box. Soon the boxes became smaller and smaller until there was only one box left. This one was different from the rest though. The other boxes had been wrapped with tissue paper and had been made of cardboard. This box was made of blue velvet and lined with gold. By this time, Vaughn was kneeling on the ground on one knee and took the box from Sydney's hand and opened it. In the box was a solitaire diamond ring. Sydney gasped.

"Sydney. From the first time I met you with your red bozo hair, I knew I was in for it. No matter how much I tried to forget you, it just got too hard. I had never met anyone like you before. You're smart, caring, kind, and strong. You're all I could ever ask for in a woman. I don't know how I got so lucky to meet a person like you. You made me forget all CIA protocol when you were around. You made me a better person and for that I'll be eternally grateful. I've kept this box with me for a long, long time waiting for a moment like this to come. I know this is our first date and all, but I think we've known each other long enough, don't you think? Sydney Bristow, will you marry me?" Vaughn finished. By this time, Sydney already had puddles in her eyes. She pulled Vaughn up from the floor and kissed him with all her heart.

As they pulled apart, Vaughn jokingly asked, "So it that a yes?" Sydney swatted his arm and nodded.

"Of course. If I wanted to say no, I wouldn't have kissed you, Mr. Vaughn," Sydney said with a smile. Vaughn grinned back at her.

"Wait, where's Joey?" Sydney asked, puzzled as to where her son could be.

"He's staying at Francie's tonight," Vaughn whispered. 

"I love you," Sydney said softly.

"I love you too," Vaughn replied with a gentle smile. And with that, Sydney grinned and slowly led Vaughn to her bedroom.

*Hey guys, what did you think? I've decided the next one will really be the last chapter. It will probably be long though because I'm going to include the wedding in it as well. The Vaughn POV story will probably start after this one is finished. 


	7. Epilogue

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Author: Kim Phan

****

E-mail: hibiscus_sweetie@hotmail.com

****

Rating: PG for now, maybe PG-13 later

****

Disclaimer: Look all I own is my journal which I barely even write in. I don't Alias, its characters, and/or anything else. Don't sue! Please I don't think I'll even have money for college.

****

Archive: Don't have one at the moment, but if you want it, take it. Just credit me and an e-mail would be nice. :)

****

Feedback: Please, pretty please?? Be easy on me though. It's my first ever fan fic.

****

Summary: This takes place 10 years after SD-6 is gone and Sydney has quit the CIA. She is not with Vaughn and has moved back to L.A. after being in New York for the past 7 years. She is not alone though, and by chance the two people she hoped would never meet, somehow find each other. Not what you think! Total S/V fic!

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Author's Note: Sadly this fic is coming to an end. Don't worry, there's still the Vaughn POV to read if you're up to it. I know it sort of ended weak and sappy. lol. My next fic will be filled with lots of angst for you guys though. So anyways, enjoy and review please!

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Epilogue

"Mom, your grandchildren want the hear the wedding story again," Sarah Francie Vaughn told her mom with a smile as she entered the kitchen. Sydney shook her head as she sliced the strawberries. Everyone was over for the monthly get together they always had. Every month is was at someone's house. This month it was at her house.

"Those kids just never seem to get sick of hearing that story, do they?" Sydney asked as she looked up at her daughter.

"Nope, I guess not," Sarah replied.

"Alright, go tell Dad to tell them the story," Sydney said as she washed her hands in the sink.

"Tell who what story?" Vaughn asked as he gave Sydney a kiss on the cheek.

"The kids want to hear the story of our wedding," Sydney replied as she took the strawberry cheesecake out of the refrigerator.

"Again? I don't know why they like it so much," Vaughn said with a laugh.

"Oh come on. Even you have to admit our wedding was surreal," Sydney replied as she started to cut the cake into slices.

"I guess you're right. Let's go," Vaughn replied as he grabbed her hand.

"You go ahead. I have to put the strawberries on the cheesecake," Sydney replied. As Vaughn and Sarah walked back into the living room, Sydney started remembering about last 27 years. That's how old Sarah is. She was conceived on the night they got engaged. Sydney remembered the look on Joey's face when they took her home. It was one of tenderness and jealousy all rolled into one. Joey was married now. They've been together for ten years. He met Kylie, ironically at Beauté Classique. She was a waitress there during college. Sarah was married too. She had married young at only 22. Vaughn had a hard time letting her go. Sarah's husband had been very brave to try to marry Sarah considering Vaughn had scared away many guys twice Brandon's size. Both of Sydney's children had children of their own. Joey had two little girls: Lorena, 5 and Grace, 8. Sarah had a little boy: Jack who was 3. She felt so old now that she had grandchildren and her own children were all grown up. Sydney was old though, she was already 65 and Vaughn was 67. It was hard to image them coming so far from the agent and handler relationship they once had. She pulled out of her thoughts realizing that Vaughn was probably waiting for her so he could start the story. Sydney walked into the living room seeing Lorena and Grace sitting at their grandfather's feet when Jack sat in his lap. Joey, Kylie, Sarah, and Brandon were gathered on one couch while Francie, Will, and her father were gathered on another.

Vaughn noticed her as soon as she entered the room and began the story. She stood at the doorway half-listening, half-reminiscing.

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"Where's the photographer? He was supposed to be here 20 minutes a go!" Sydney panicked.

"Calm down, Syd. Everything's going to be okay. He just go here. I saw him setting up his equipment a couple of minutes a go," Francie tried to tell her friend.

"Everything has to be perfect, Francie. Nothing can go wrong. This is my wedding day!" Sydney cried.

"Sydney, you can't control everything. Mistakes happen, life happens. You just go with the flow and take things as they are," Francie reasoned. Sydney sighed as she put the veil on her head. _Everything has been short of chaotic today. It didn't help that she hasn't seen Vaughn at all. Sydney knew it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride right before the wedding, but it didn't help her nerves any when he wasn't there to comfort her._

"Can you go outside and see where Mike is? I'm just curious," Sydney asked. Francie smiled. Her friend could barely stand to be away from her future husband for a couple minutes, let alone hours.

"Sure, sweetie. I'll be right back," Francie replied. She walked outside the white tent, her feet sinking into the warm sand. Francie spotted Vaughn a couple of feet away talking to an old lady. His forehead had wrinkle lines in it and his eyes displayed his irritation. He was already dressed in his black tux and matching bowtie. 

"Aunt Trish, it's a beach. Everyone walks barefoot," Vaughn said, slightly annoyed.

"I don't care. It's a wedding. No one walks barefoot at a wedding," Aunt Trish replied. Vaughn ran a hand through his hair.

"When it's a wedding at the beach, they do!" Vaughn cried. Francie wanted to laugh. She had heard of Aunt Trish before. Sydney spoke of her once when Vaughn and Sydney had gone to see her. From the way Sydney had described the visit, Aunt Trish was a very eccentric woman.

"Um, am I interrupting something?" Francie asked Vaughn. Vaughn faced her, not realizing she had even been there at first.

"Oh no, Francie. I was just talking to Aunt Trish. Oh, excuse me. Aunt Trish meet Francie Calfo. Francie meet Aunt Trish," Vaughn said. Francie smiled and shook the old lady's hand.

"She's nice, Michael. You see, good people have good friends. That old girlfriend of yours, what's her name again?" Aunt Trish said.

"Alice?" Vaughn supplied.

"Oh right. Her. Well, anyways she had terrible choices in friends at times. I never liked her," Aunt Trish said. *I really like this woman.* Francie thought.

"Yeah, Aunt Trish. I know. You've told me that many times. I don't know why you keep repeating it now that I'm with Sydney," Vaughn replied.

"I just wanted you to see that I was right all along. You kept arguing with me about it, but in the end you ended up with Sydney," she explained. Vaughn sighed. He hated when his aunt was right because she would always rub it in his face.

"Michael, I'm going over to the bar to see if that cute bartender can get me a tequila," Aunt Trish said as she started to walk away. Vaughn shook his head and chuckled. Near this section of the beach was an outside mini bar. Sydney and him had decided to leave it open for guests instead of going through the trouble of asking the owner to close it for the day. Suddenly Vaughn realized something. What was Francie doing out here?

"Francie, is Syd okay? Aren't you supposed to be in there helping her get ready?" Vaughn asked, looking slightly worried.

"Don't worry, everything's fine. She just wanted to know where you were. She missed you," Francie said with a smile.

"Okay. Could you go see if the flowers are all arranged? I'm going to go talk to Syd," Vaughn told her. Francie gave him an alarmed look. Vaughn smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll stay outside the tent. Promise," Vaughn assured her. Francie gave him a skeptical look, but walked towards the flower arrangement tent. Vaughn looked up at the sky and noticed some dark clouds. He silently hoped it wouldn't rain. 

Vaughn slowly approached the tent and whispered, "Syd?" 

Sydney had been standing up trying to put on her anklet and almost tripped when she heard Vaughn's voice. "Mike? What are you doing here? You're not supposed to see me until the wedding starts!" Sydney whispered back as she stood near the exit to the tent.

"Why are we whispering?" Vaughn asked.

"I don't know. You tell me, you started it," Sydney replied, exasperated. 

"Anyways, I'm not really seeing you. I'm just talking to you. I'm sure there's no harm in that, Syd," Vaughn explained. Sydney sighed.

"I guess, Mike. I just don't want any bad luck on our wedding day. We've had enough to last a lifetime with SD-6 and everything," Sydney replied.

"Hey Syd, will you do me a favor?" Vaughn asked.

"What?" 

"Will you try to enjoy our wedding day and relax?" Vaughn asked with a smile.

"I'll try," Sydney replied, laughing, "This is so silly. We're standing on opposite sides of a tent talking."

"Look, Syd. I better go. It's almost time for the wedding to start. See you in a little bit," Vaughn said. 

"Okay, see you soon," Sydney replied. Sydney took another look in the mirror and picked up her bouquet of lilies. As soon as she opened the flap of the tent, her father stopped her.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Sydney asked, puzzled.

"Well, Sydney, it seems that the reverend performing the wedding hasn't shown up," her father said matter-of-factly. Sydney almost fainted at those words. The reverend hasn't show up yet!! Without him, there would be no wedding. Sydney started to panic.

"He hasn't shown up? Where in the world could he be? He's performing the ceremony! He should have been here hours a go. Why didn't anyone tell me he hasn't shown up yet?!?" Sydney cried. 

Jack tried to calm his daughter down as he spoke, "I'm sure he was just stuck in traffic or maybe he's somewhere around here. Maybe there's someone else here who could perform the ceremony. I'll go see." Sydney started taking deep breaths praying nothing else would go wrong. Her hopes went unanswered. As soon as Jack left, Francie came back in to tell her that she couldn't find Joey. 

"What? You lost my son! How could this happen? Where's Vaughn? He's supposed to be with Vaughn!" Sydney cried. This was starting to be too much.

"Calm down, Syd. Oh you know what? He's probably with Aunt Trish. They were talking earlier. I'll go see if he's with her, okay?" Francie assured her. Sydney didn't answer. She just nodded. She was in a state of shock from all the bad news she was receiving. Fifteen minutes later, Jack and Francie came back to tell her that everything was okay. They had found both the priest and Joey at the bar with Aunt Trish. She had apparently captivated them with wild stories about Vaughn as a baby. Sydney started laughing and just couldn't stop. It seemed so silly that she had been panicking now that everything was fine. Sydney decided that no matter what happened, she would take Vaughn's advice and enjoy her wedding. 

So when it started to sprinkle in the middle of her walking down the aisle, she just smiled as tiny droplets of water splashed on her ivory strapless wedding gown. People surprisingly did not move from their seats. They all seemed captivated by the surreal situation they were in. It was the middle of August in Los Angeles and it was raining. They were at the wedding of a couple who had been through so much in their lives already, even more than they could ever know. It seemed best to just respect and be blessed in the situation they were in. Vaughn watched Sydney walk down the aisle as sprinkles of rain fell all around her. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. In that moment, he didn't care about the rain or his Aunt Trish or the fact that the reverend was drunk, Vaughn just knew he loved this stunning woman and all he wanted was to marry her. As her father handed her over to Vaughn, Sydney started to cry tears of joy. 

"Well, it seems these two having something to say to each other," Reverend John slurred. Sydney glared at the reverend before she began her speech.

"Vaughn, for as long as we have known each other, you have been there to protect me. No matter the circumstances or the rules, you were there to comfort me. During those ten years when we didn't see each other, I felt an emptiness in my heart. I didn't feel safe or comforted anymore even though SD-6 was gone and I was no longer in danger. I now realized it was because you weren't with me. You weren't there when I had a bad day and needed to rant. You weren't there to keep me company. You are my guardian angel and I love you for being the kind, wonderful man you are. I am honored to become your wife and giving you the comfort and support you have given me all these years." Sydney finished. 

Vaughn was close to tears as he tried to keep his voice level. "Sydney, in the world we lived in, many people break down after seeing the horrors you have seen. They turn dark and can't deal with life. You were not one of these people. When something horrible was thrown your way, you dealt with it and became stronger. Instead of helping yourself, you would continually help others, like myself. You have save me many, many times and I will always be grateful for that. You're compassionate and grateful for the little joys you get to experience. I've never met anyone like you before. So as I stand here ready to take your hand in marriage, I have only one request for you. I want you to let me take care of you for a change," Vaughn ended his speech as Sydney started to cry once more.

"Alright, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, for richer or poor, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" Reverend John said in an annoyed tone which was ignore by everyone present.

"I do," Sydney said with a smile.

"And do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife till death do you part?" the reverend shortened, almost about to pass out.

"I do," Vaughn said with a grin.

"I now pronounce you man and wife, you may now kiss the bride," the reverend finished before he passed out on the ground. Sydney and Vaughn took a quick look at him before they kissed. As they pulled apart, they noticed the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out again. Everyone started clapping and confetti was thrown everywhere. Sydney and Vaughn didn't notice though. They simply stared into each other's eyes.

Sydney had tears in her eyes as Vaughn finished his story. Their wedding had been surreal and wonderful all at the same time. 

Sydney wiped at the tears in her eyes and asked, "Who wants some cheesecake?" Simultaneous sounds of agreement echoed in her ear. Sydney laughed and headed back to the kitchen.

As Sydney picked up a slice of cheesecake, Vaughn took it from her hands and set it back on the kitchen counter. He leaned in and their lips meet in a long lingering kiss. As they pulled apart, Vaughn stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. 

Sydney leaned back into him and whispered, "how did we get so lucky?"

Vaughn smiled and simply stated, "Fate."

*So was the ending okay? Too sappy? Well at least it's finished now! Onto another fic! lol. I had lots of fun writing this though and want to thank each and every one of you for your wonderful reviews. They were much appreciated and brightened my day! 


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